Planning Ideas Before Writing

Plan before writing by saying aloud or noting down what will be written, writing down ideas and key words, and encapsulating ideas sentence by sentence before composing

ages 6 to 108 practice questionsvideo included

What a learner can do afterwards

Verbally rehearse sentences before writing them down
Jot key words or ideas in a planning format (e.g., story map) before drafting
Write a simple plan with beginning, middle, and end for a story

The lesson

Before you write, stop and think first. Planning means deciding what you want to say before your pencil touches the paper. It makes your writing clearer, and you cross out less.

A story map has three boxes: what happens first, what happens next, and what happens last.

Try it together

Mia wants to write about her trip to the park. Before she starts, she jots down a few words: swings, ice cream, lost my hat. Then she writes her story using those words to remember her ideas.

Good to know

Your plan does not need full sentences. A few key words are enough to jog your memory later. You can also say your idea out loud once before you jot it down.

Plan first: say your idea, jot a few key words, and lay out a beginning, middle, and end.

Watch it

Where it sits

Learn first

Describing Aloud Organising Writing into Paragraphs Building Writing Stamina Simple Stories with Beginning and Ending Writing Process Vocabulary Saying Sentences Before Writing Them

This opens up

Writing for an audience Drawing conclusions from evidence (age 9+)Choosing Form and Tone for Your Audience

Where this leads

Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.

Lawyer Politician Game Designer Historian Marketer Writer

Then practise

8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.